Andy’s Heart May Be In Houston, But His Arm is Back in the Bronx

Good Andy Pettitte coverage by Jack Curry and Tyler Kepner in The Times this morning. The Astros were evidentally the southpaw’s first cherce, but Houston would not go near a second year. Pettitte still has to take a physical, which won’t happen for another nine days (Andy and his father are headed to South Texas for a previously-planned hunting trip). Here’s Tom Pettitte, Andy’s old man:

“I never wanted him to leave New York to begin with, as far as where his baseball numbers were going to stack up,” Tom said. “I always thought he could get to 200 wins as a Yankee. Now the ironic thing is he’ll have a chance to win his 200th game with the Yankees.”

…”The Yankees were always a special part of his life, no question,” Tom Pettitte said. “When he was deciding to pitch down here, he said: ‘I’m a Yankee. I’ll always be a Yankee.’ That’s how he understood it. Now he gets to go back and be a Yankee again.”

The team’s prospects get more than a great role model to see in spring training. Pettitte’s arrival also means the Yanks can keep all of their prospects, notably Phil Hughes, in the minors to begin the season to continue their education. No one has to be rushed now. This also provides a stockpile of options for when the inevitable injuries occur. Between Double-A and Triple-A, the Yanks should have Hughes, Humberto Sanchez, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner and Steven White vying to be summoned. It is the best Yankees depth in a while.

Again, while the Yankees don’t have that one guy that strikes you as a true ace, they’ve got a nice group of veteran starters. As Sherman notes, they also have depth, a bunch of young arms. That hasn’t been the case in New York for more than a minute now. I know that I feel more confident about their starting pitching this morning than I did a week ago. Beauty, eh?